Do You Want Your Bucket List to Be Helpful?

Bucket lists have become popular. Anybody at any age can have one. In fact, it seems almost everyone has a bucket list these days. It often is something like 100 things to do before I kick the bucket or 200 places to see before I die. Many people thinking about retiring start a bucket list.

They can be fun to make and remind you of important things you want or hope to do during your lifetime. While this is all well and good, I want to put a twist on the usual idea of making a bucket list so that it actually can be helpful in the here and now. This could also be thought of as a different way of setting meaningful goals.

To do this, consider making a list that includes the following:

· 1 thing I am going to do this month that scares the holy heck out of me.

· 1 thing I will do this week that is outside my comfort zone.

· 1 place I will visit this month that I have never been to before now.

· 1 nice thing I can do anonymously for someone else this month.

· 1 kind thing I can do for my health or myself this month.

I suggest you set a date for each one and also describe what it is you will do. This can be like a checklist so you can check it off when you do it. Afterwards, you might want to write some comments about how you felt when you did whatever you did. You may note if there is any follow-up you want to do.

To use this kind of bucket list, it helps if you approach this exercise with a mindset of curiosity and playfulness. You may be surprised to find that doing it is fun.

As you complete the different items on the list, I challenge you to notice what you learn about yourself. How has doing this been helpful to you? This may be something you want to do on a monthly basis for a while.

If you find this helpful, you might add some of your own ideas to the list to make it more meaningful and personal for you.

A traditional bucket list usually has items that can be hard to attain. You may not have the money or time to do some of the things on a traditional bucket list. However, with this list you can see there are many ways to expand your horizon in smaller, doable ways that can be meaningful.

Let me know what you think of this list. What else would you add to this kind of Bucket List?

Founder, Maurine Patten

Maurine helps upper-level professionals transform their Encore Years into the most rewarding, meaningful and joy-filled time of their life. As an agent of change, she loves guiding them in putting together the 4 pieces of the Retirement Puzzle so they can tap into their dreams and make informed decisions which lead to a fulfilling life. Click Here to Read More...